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15-Jun-2005 -- 60N01W was a straightforward affair, so to say, provided you have a boat which just crossed the North Sea from Norway to the Shetland Island, on your way to the East coast of Scotland.

Indeed, we were sailing the Imram back to St. Malo. She had spent two seasons sailing in Iceland and Norway, along the East coast of Greenland and visiting the islands of Jan Mayen, Bjornoya and Spitzberg.

Gale-force winds had kept us a day longer than expected in Lerwick, our port of call in the Shetland Islands, for some rest and recreation after the shaky and fast North Sea passage from Norway. Our next destination was Fair Isle, a windswept bird heaven midway the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Passing, en route, through 60N01W was easily scheduled.

We left Lerwick at 1740 UTC on June 15th 2005, and two hours of motoring in the little evening winds brought us onto 01W, still in view of Mainland and Bressay, two of the Shetland Islands. As for the several other confluences we visited at sea, we made no attempt to stop the 10 tons of our aluminium vessel lad with heavy expedition material on the confluence: we decided to sail South along 01W till the 60N would be crossed, what happened after a short time.

To the North, one could see the outline of Mainland and Bressay, with the cliffs typical of the Shetland landscape. To the East and to the South no land was in sight, while to the West the coastline of Mainland and Mousa merged with the towering evening clouds.

We followed 1W for a while, and then aimed towards Fair Isle, from where, next morning, the confluence region would be nicely seen, lying to the right of the Shetland Islands ...a sight usually enjoyed only by the many puffins which live on this remote island.